Between Darkness and Light
by Nimbus Wolf
Summary: A young forest boy, his tomboy counterpart, and two brave fairies embark on a marvelous journey. They encounter nothing but danger and hardship, although they only ever longed for a home to keep them safe.
1. Legend

MAJOR EDIT FROM THE FUTURE: Hello! Wow...it's been a while since I wrote this. Since it was my very first story, I wanted to upload it again. If you think the first chapter is atrocious, forgive me, I kept most of it intact for sentimental reasons (I wrote this when I was a kid...there's bound to be errors and garbage everywhere). Reflecting on the story, I think it was just too epic to complete. The enormous plot escaped me so much that I've decided to discontinue it. And I was way too young...I laughed a lot at how stupid and kiddish the disclaimers/intros sound.

In spite of all this tale's shortcomings, I hope they don't bother you enough to stop reading. This first chapter is a little rough, so I do understand if you spit it out in disgust and move on to the next story.

Thank you.

Disclaimer: I do not own Nintendo

_Hoof beats.*Thud thud*.Layla heard them and was lulled by their monotonous sound.*Thud thud*.She knew all of the horses were safely tied up for the night. Yet, the hoof beats persisted.*Thud thud*.Nonetheless, Layla listened to them. Then she heard other hooves touching the ground.*Thud thud thud*.These were reckless and out of beat, and drowned out the other peaceful set of hoof beats.*Thud thud thud*.They got louder and louder, almost to a point where it could deafen a person. And then they softened. Beating...beating,*thud thud thud*.Then all was still..._

Layla awoke to her jovial mother yelling, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!" Layla shook her head and groaned at the sound of morning. She saw her mother frown and, to Layla's disappointment, shake the bed. It took a few seconds until Layla finally rose to greet the morning, and her overly excited mother. She saw the short brown haired woman and tried to crack a smile. This woman had a "larger" body frame that was almost even masculine, not to mention it intimidated everyone she met. Her mother was wearing her favorite red dress with fringed edges on it and, when Layla was young, she had called it the "puffy dress" because of its fluffed edges.

Now Layla finally realized it was her birthday and thought of the days events. There would be a party, some odd boring gifts, and a trip to the market to buy a new tunic. It was going to turn out to be just another dull, dreary day.

She finally got up, yawned, stretched, and walked over to her mother who was holding Layla's breakfast. She shoved it in her daughter's arms and pulled out some clothes from behind her saying," Happy Birthday honey! I decided to just bring your new tunic to you this time so we didn't have to travel. Hurry up and get dressed, your father is waiting for you outside."

Layla looked at the clothes and fake-smiled for her mother. She laid them out and saw that they were a maroon color with a black belt. Her mother exclaimed, "Oh, I almost forgot," She pulled out a pair of boots from basket in the corner. Layla said thank you, then ate breakfast, pork and eggs, and got dressed in her new clothes. On her way out Layla's mother smiled and said," How wonderful! You look great! Don't forget to do your chores and help take down the tents. We have another mission from the council. Hurry up now, don't delay!"

Layla ran out of the tent looking for her father. He was the leader of the troops and had blond hair and dark eyes that felt powerful and strong. He was also tall, which was a good thing in Layla's case. The men were bustling around the campsite so much that she actually couldn't find her him. They camped out in the middle of the desert, so it was hard to see with the dust flying around. Then she saw him, over by the stables. Layla ran and yelled, "Father!" He turned around to greet her and smiled.

"So I heard it was your twelfth birthday! Did you get your new outfit?" Layla looked up at him, panting and said, "Yes."

He yelled orders to some men and turned back to her attention.

"Well, we must be going soon, to Gerudo fortress. The council wants us to check up on what those thieves are doing. They said there had been rumors of them plotting against the kingdom again." Layla looked down. She always was left behind with one or two other soldiers to look after her. She sighed and asked," Could I come this time? I finished all my training for this year, and I even won the beginners sparring tournament." It was true; there were no other kids in the camp, so she always practiced with the younger men in training. Earlier that year, she had won the tournament.

"And," She thought of one other thing," I'm twelve this year." He thought hard, and then finally spoke, "Alright," Layla was sparked with excitement," but on one condition." Layla obviously didn't care. All she wanted to do was go with.

_Alright! _She thought._ A real mission! In Gerudo fortress!_ The idea gave her jitters and she remembered her father's condition.

"You must stay with the beginner's squad. Don't even think about straying away, or there will be severe punishments." He tried to sound as serious as possible, and then laughed.

Filled to the brim with excitement, Layla ran towards the stables to tell Epona, her horse, yelling back," Thank you!!!" The brown and white mare stood in the corral, grazing. Epona instantly ran towards Layla and covered her in kisses. They had been playmates ever since Layla was a kid. They said their hellos and Layla told Epona her news.

"Epona we're finally going to Gerudo fortress with the others!" Epona, being Layla's horse, was also left behind on missions. After she was told she would be able to go, Epona whinnied in excitement.

Layla took her out of the corral to herd the sheep. Since the camp was moving, the sheep had to go too. Layla got on Epona without a saddle and walked her towards the sheep. Layla never worried about saddles, unless they were going on a long trip. It suited her to ride bareback.

The lazy fat sheep were grazing in the field. They were always tough to herd, and very stubborn. Some days, Layla just wanted to make a coat out of their fluff right then and there. Today Layla hoped they would be good since it was her birthday. She immediately saw that she was wrong. They all walked the complete opposite direction and spread out as much as possible. Layla tried to calm down Epona, who really wanted to give it to them. She was snorting and digging at the ground with her hoof in frustration.

When the sheep were finally in order, Layla saw one group of five sheep that were scattered led by a mean old ram. She always had trouble with this one, because he was usually the trouble maker behind the rest of the flock's rebellious attitude. He huffed and puffed at her and threatened to charge. She circled him and the other strays in attempt to get them in a group. But they quickly caught on separated again. Finally Layla was on the verge of giving up when the ram suddenly charged at her. She turned Epona just at the right moment to dodge the attack. The ram turned around and ran towards her again. Layla picked up a heavy stick and, just as he came by, whacked the ram on his head. He stood there, dumbfounded, and then dizzily walked to the rest of the flock. The other strays saw this and meekly walked with the ram. Layla laughed. She wouldn't ever have any trouble with the sheep again.

By noon the camp was ready to leave. Layla found her mother wearing a light armor at the front of the camp along with the other troops. Her father was standing in front of them, ready to lead the way. Layla was thankful for the cool breeze that stopped by. It felt wonderful in the hot sun. Layla saw it swoop by through her long brown hair. She breathed it all in. Finally, it was her first time going on a mission! Her mother noticed her enthusiasm and smiled.

"Well I see someone's excited." She rode a Grey speckled horse she called Willow. He was an old war horse, but she trusted him greatly.

Just then Layla heard her father speaking on his giant white horse.

"Alright, we will enter, as always, with caution. Our objective is to investigate, not to attack." He started pacing.

"The more skilled soldiers will enter in the back entrance way, while the soldiers in training follow behind. One squad must go undercover to the leader's room to spy. Layla!" He pointed at her.

"I want you to go with that group."

They didn't make great progress with the afternoon sun hovering over them. The troops were hot, sweaty, and exhausted. Layla herself was getting tired, but, in hopes of impressing her father, tried to remain calm. As if the heat was nothing. But in the end she was bent over Epona's neck and worn out.

The troops made camp for the night by a small spring of water. Layla's canteen was empty and she went to fill it. When she got back she saw her mother making soup. Everyone knew her mother's cooking was the best. It smelled delicious. The wonderful fragrance was wafting over the whole camp. Layla had to check every minute to see if she could have first dibbs. After the long trek in the desert, Layla was starving. When her mother finally gave out food, Layla gulped it down and quickly asked for more. As she spooned out the soup, her mother laughed and said, "Honestly, Layla, the world won't run out of soup." Layla also saw a look of sadness flash across her face, and wondered about it.

After dinner was over, everyone went back to their tents. Some men stayed out by the campfire and talked. Others went to sleep; Layla covered her ears at their snoring. She herself went back to the tent that she shared with her parents, and got ready for bed. Her mother walked in and unraveled a small bed roll made of sheep wool. She still looked slightly meloncholy, despite all the good things that had happened that day. She started digging around in her bag. Layla's father walked in and looked at her mother, who was still appeared disappointed. Now Layla was really suspicious, and she asked," What's wrong?" Her father nodded and then the sad woman finally found what she was looking for. She pulled out a strange black headband, with the golden Triforce on it.

Layla knew that anything with a Triforce on it must be important, and she remembered what the Temple of Time looked like when she first saw it. It had been rebuilt to look exactly like the original, with magnificent marble walls, and a beautiful doorway that supposedly lead to the sacred realm. And everything was covered with Triforce symbols. Layla had also been told both stories of the ancient heroes, who vanquished the evil wizard and saved Hyrule. But this was a new Hyrule, one named after the other one sealed away by a great ocean of water. Layla remembered the time when her mother told her bedtime stories about the legends of old.

_This is but one of the legends of which people speak. _

_Long ago, there existed a kingdom where a golden power lay hidden. It was a peaceful land, blessed with tall mountains, lush fields, and peace. _

_But one day, a man of great evil found the golden power and took it for himself…With its strength at his command; he spread darkness across the kingdom. _

_But then, when all hope had died and the hour of doom seemed at hand…a young boy clothed in green appeared as if from nowhere. Wielding the blade of evil's bane, he sealed the dark one away and gave the land light. The boy, who traveled through time to save the land, was known as the Hero of Time. The boy's tale was passed down through generations until it became legend…_

_But then…a day came when a fell wind began to blow across the kingdom. The great evil that all thought had been forever sealed away by the hero...once again crept forth from the depths of the earth, eager to resume its dark designs. _

_The people believed that the hero of time would once again come to save them…_

_But the hero did not appear._

_Faced by an onslaught of evil, the people could do nothing but appeal to the Triforce. In their last hour, as their doom drew nigh, they left their lives in the hands of fate._

_The kingdom was plunged beneath a vast body of water. Many escaped to the tops of mountains._

_Many, however, did not._

_The mountains became islands, the kingdom's survivors were isolated, and they soon forgot about the hero until the legend merely survived on the wind's breath. The vast sea was covered in darkness._

_The great evil had almost succeeded its plans…_

_Until a young boy armored with the legendary blade and the power of winds rose to the challenge, and with the help of a princess, once again defeated the great evil. He, in turn, gained the name Hero of the Winds._

_The two set out for a new land, one worthy of being named after the ancient kingdom. _

_It was soon restored, and the new kingdom prospered._

_What happened to the great evil?_

_Some say that he was locked away…_

_Others say that in his final hour, swore to murder the hero's descendants. _

_That he still waits today for the opportune moment to gain ultimate power and vengeance… _

Layla stared at the mysterious headband. It somehow had reminded her of those stories. They echoed in her head…


	2. Rats

**Alrighty then. The first chapter is a little cruddy...then again, the whole thing is. (The title itself really scares me.) But that's okay! I have to tell you people that I don't update on a daily/weekly/monthly basis. So don't be surprised when you look on this page and find out there isn't a new chapter. When there is, you can have a party. Whohoo.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Zelda or Nintendo or anything like that.**

**Chapter 2: Rats**

Layla must have had a quizzical look on her face because her mother finally spoke.

"One dark, stormy night your father and I had a child." Layla heard her birth story many times, only now her mother told it with grief.

"The child was a boy, and he only lived for two minutes." Layla thought_ 'wait, this can't be right_.'

"Then he died. We wept for a long time, until we heard a galloping noise," Layla immediately shook and remembered her dream of hoof beats. The thumping filled her head.

"It stopped at our door and we heard crying." Layla then felt a sick feeling in her stomach.

"I was afraid to look outside, but your father walked out and saw a baby girl, wrapped in a white cloth and this," she gave Layla the headband,"around her neck....Layla-"She was cut off and started crying.

Layla tried to refuse it; her parents would never lie. They couldn't just live in denial for the past twelve years. But her parents did tell her. At that moment, Layla felt memory and life get into a train wreck. It all didn't make sense. The only thing that was real was this ugly headband.....it made her furious! Six tiny words, going over and over in her mind, tortured her. 'They should have told me before…They should have told me before…' She sat there, completely shocked at what she just heard. Layla tried to deny it; to disregard every one of those little words in her head. She didn't cry, she just sat and listened, wide-eyed. Her father started to speak, trying to cheer them both up. "I saw part of the rider; she was a woman, cloaked, and sitting on a white steed. And she was traveling fast, followed by a group of shady figures." Then Layla was even angrier._ 'That's easy for you to say! For all I know, my real parents could be dead!'_

At that moment, Layla took the headband and ran out of the tent to the spring. As she ran in the cool moonlight, tears flooded her eyes and clouded them. She sat down at the water's edge, and looked in the water. There sat a brown haired girl, with one ugly stripe of blonde in it; a nobody. Layla hit the water and looked away. She put her knees to her chest and cried. There were the sound of Epona's footsteps trotting towards her. The small horse nudged her in the side and whinnied. Layla looked up at her companion.

"What, are you fake too?" Epona cocked her head and licked Layla. The girl smiled. Layla could never be angry at Epona. She curled up next to Epona, who quickly did the same. The faithful horse would always remain at her side. It was a good feeling. Layla looked at the headband.

"Well, at least I have this. Maybe I can find my parents." She took the headband, stroked back her hair, and put it on. It felt nice, a perfect fit, and it had certain warmth that comforted Layla. Soon, the two fell fast asleep.

_*Thud thud* Layla heard them again. She not only heard them, but she saw them. Hooves, they were white, and it was dark out. A cloaked rider galloped through the night. The rider was in a forest, surrounded by trees. There were dark figures following the her.*Thud thud thud*the rider held something the figures were after. They skidded out of the forest and galloped into a campsite, and carefully dropped a small, white cloth. Then it jumped off into the distance. Layla saw fading glimpses of a young girl with a beautiful face. As the images ceased, Layla heard a voice saying, "Be careful." Then she heard a horse neigh. 'Epona'_

__

Layla woke to find Epona hovering over her. She had slept near the spring over night and forgot about going to Gerudo Fortress. She heard the troops up and about. Layla stood up and rubbed her head. She was having a good morning so far until she remembered the night before. Her dream seemed to explain a lot, but it also brought up many questions. And Layla was still angry at her parents. They were probably looking for her, but Layla didn't care. She wondered why she felt this way; she thought she missed her so called "parents." But she didn't. Leaning on Epona, she thought for a moment.

_Why don't I just go by myself? The fortress is just a few miles away. And I could get in myself, without help. _Layla liked the idea and she decided to try it. She filled her canteen in the water, and then snuck into camp without being noticed. She grabbed some bread, along with her saddlebags. Over behind a rock on her way back to the spring she came across a blue shining figure. She walked over to it and saw it was a beautiful blue hilted sword. Layla thought for a moment.

_I guess a sword is always welcome when you go somewhere by yourself...._She pondered this and decided to take the sword since she forgot to grab one back at camp. Layla carefully picked it up, like it was a piece of glass, and stalked off back to the spring. Layla found Epona waiting patiently and she put the saddle bags on her, threw the sword on her back, then got on Epona, and took off.

The first few miles were easy, and then it got tougher at noon. Layla stopped to rest and eat. Then they set off again. As she rode, Layla wondered why she was doing this.

_Maybe I just wanted to get away from them. _She shook her head and then she heard a voice.

"Go back. Go back."

The voice kept repeating this until Layla shouted, "I don't want to! They aren't my parents anyway...."Then the voice stopped and said, "Very well."

In the afternoon, Layla finally recognized signs of civilization, lone trading posts, garbage, and even some caravans. Then, on the sandy horizon, she saw it. Gerudo Fortress.

Layla decided to stop and form a plan before she went in. She had a bite of some bread, and then looked over to the sword. The sheath was blue, matching the sword, and embroidered with gold. And it was so big...Layla idly wondered if she was even worthy to wield it. Carefully, she unsheathed the sword. Epona suddenly reared and whinnied at Layla.

"Oh calm down, I won't break it or anything." Layla turned her attention to the sword again. She swung it, and felt it rip an imaginary limb off from the enemy. It was powerful too, and very well balanced. Layla glimpsed the hilt, and then did a double take at it. There, just under the hilt, was the Triforce symbol. For some reason, she had developed a fear of the insignia, ever since she saw the headband.

Layla decided to go in at late afternoon, which gave her time to take a break. But she didn't want to rest too long, for the soldiers would be coming soon, and Layla didn't want them to catch her. A burn on her hand made Layla jump. She didn't think much of it and ignored it.

Layla decided to leave Epona behind a large bolder, and she trusted she wouldn't go anywhere if Layla came back, and figure out some way to get inside. Again a voice said, "Crawlspace." Layla was growing tired of this voice, and she asked, "Who ARE you?" There was nothing. So she ignored it and took nothing else but the sword, then walked cautiously towards the fortress.

She had to hide from the guards on the outside, but that was easy. Layla guessed they didn't have many intruders, since the guards were all lazy. They yawned, took naps, and some just joked around with the others. Layla thought it was all too simple. Even the soldiers weren't this bad. She just hid behind various objects, like old carts, boxes, and rocks. When she reached the crawlspace, she saw it was very narrow. Layla once again had a burning sensation in her arm and tried not to notice. She frowned. The crawlspace was so old and cracked; it looked like it would collapse any time. Thinking about that gave her the shivers and she climbed in, peeling away spider webs.

_Well, at least I'm in._

__

The passageway led to a series of vents, grates, and openings in the fortress ceiling. Layla tried looking for an important room, when she stumbled upon a larger grate that led to the main area of the fortress. There she saw the gate opening and soldiers walking in. _The troops. _She thought.

_Mother and fa-._She stopped herself.

_**They**__ should be in there. _When she didn't see them, Layla got nervous. She crept on through the dirty old tunnel.

Layla was crawling and looking around when she came to a passage with tons of graffiti on it. She was studying the graffiti writings when she saw a little gold bell tied to a velvet string, suspended from the ceiling. Layla was wondering about it when a rat came along and grasped the bell. It giggled and pulled on the string. Layla was looking confused when she noticed the floor she was crawling on was wooden. She gasped when the floorboards opened and she fell through.

Layla tumbled to the ground of what was apparently the kitchen. A giant pot dominated the room, and it was filled with spoons and other cooking utensils. _Stupid rat. _Layla stood up and brushed herself off when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around, horrified, to find a Gerudo woman staring at her.

The woman had double blades on her back and Layla stood looking at them gawking, until the woman spoke.

"What are you doing here little girl? Shouldn't you be-"Layla took out the blue sword and prepared herself to fight with the double bladed woman. She stood there, cowering, and the Gerudo just looked at her with an empty expression. Her eyes widened and she grabbed Layla by the arm, despite her wiggling around trying to get free.

"Where did you get that?! And who are you?! You will come to see our leader, Sabra." She tightened her grip on Layla.

"Stop squirming!" Then the Gerudo took out one of her swords and clumped Layla on the head with the hilt. The last thing she saw were other Gerudos gathered around her and the mysterious voice saying, "I told you to go back." Layla answered to that with a simple, "Shut up." And she fainted to the ground.

When Layla woke up she thought she was still in her tent; like it never happened. Then the reality of a hard stone floor met her. Layla heard giggling noises coming from behind her. She opened her eyes and saw two women staring at her from outside the jail cell Layla was in, snickering. Immediately, Layla checked behind her for her sword. It was gone and she spotted it on the wall. Unfortunately, Layla was in a jail cell. Her arm was bolted to the ground with and iron shackle. Layla tugged and pulled at it, but it was no use. The Gerudo woman giggled even more.

"Oh, Tether, isn't she just adorable?" The taller one said looking at Layla. The one known as Tether covered her mouth to keep from laughing again.

"Such a cute little girl, I wonder if she came from that nasty band of troops." The tall one gasped with delight.

"Maybe Sabra would let her join us! We haven't had a youngling here for a long time." They both laughed and Layla felt her face turn into a frown.

_I am NOT cute!_ She thought.

Another Gerudo woman that looked of greater importance walked in and saw the two others frolicking. She hardened her face and said, "Stop it girls! It's lazy bums like you that cause soldiers to waltz into our fortress like the ones today." The two went silent. The powerful Gerudo pointed into Layla's cell.

"Unlock her and take her to Sabra's room." The girls quickly obeyed and pulled Layla out of the cell, but didn't take off shackles. Layla groaned and rubbed her wrists in frustration.

The two girls led Layla up a long flight of stairs. They were covered in red cloth, and on the walls were stained glass pictures of Gerudos from the past. Then they came to a very large picture with a gigantic frame. In the center was a great red haired man. He looked evil and powerful; The Gerudo women stopped. They had a long look at the window, and then they advanced to two large doors. The doors opened automatically, almost by magic. Layla gasped.

It was a large room, filled with shining objects and beautiful things. A small table with a crystal ball on it dominated the center of the room. In the back of the room, there was a gorgeous jeweled chair covered in red satin. Seated on the chair was a cloaked woman with long red hair and dark brown eyes. At once, Layla recognized her as the Gerudo leader.

The two girls flung Layla on the ground and walked out the doors. Now Layla was rubbing the back of her hand, for the burning she had felt before had intensified greatly. The woman looked at her for a long time. Layla thought she would faint from the Gerudo's piercing eyes. Then the leader finally spoke.

"You have come a long way from home, little girl." The woman paused. From the sound of her evil voice, Layla thought this Gerudo was mocking her.

"Your parents and their insolent little group of soldiers came in looking for you." Layla stiffened and stood up.

"Where are they!?" Layla said angrily. The wicked woman smiled.

"Oh, I just used them to warn that stupid royal council of ever entering my fortress again." Her voice turned soft.

"Come child, and look into the crystal ball." Layla hesitantly walked over to the small table with golden designs on it. She looked at the sparkling crystal ball. It swirled around for a while until it settled on an image. It was the soldiers marching into the center of Gerudo fortress, like Layla saw before. The crystal ball skipped a few images and came upon another. Layla gasped and felt a pang in her heart. There were a set of gallows with two people standing on them. Layla shook her head in disbelief, "No.." On the gallows, were her parents. The Gerudos crowded around them, watching in delight. They screamed at the two, and even threw things at them. Then a whistle blew, and the floor beneath Layla's parents loosened, and fell. Layla turned her head and she heard screaming.

She fell to her knees and covered her face.

_They're dead! Oh they're dead! The only parents I ever knew are gone. It's all because of me. If I would have stayed, none of this would ever have happened. It's my entire fault…_The Gerudo woman saw Layla's misfortune and she grinned again.

"Those fools got what they deserved. They shouldn't have tricked you all these years." Layla looked up at her.

"How did you know about that?" Sabra smiled at her.

"I have my ways." Then she stood and walked towards Layla.

"I've heard you are looking for your real parents. I can help you." Sabra created a purple ball of energy and Layla stared at it, wide eyed. Then, just as easily as she created it, Sabra whisked it away.

"If you give me something in return…" Sabra's eyes started glowing white, and she came closer to Layla. Layla started to back away, grasping her hand in pain, "Like what?" Sabra walked forward, "Something that sleeps inside of you. You are more than who you think you are, child." Sabra stretched out her arm, and Layla felt another sharp pain in her arm that brought her to her knees and she yelled out from the throbbing. Sabra now seemed as if she was in a trance.

"Stop resisting girl. You can't stop me." Layla scowled, "You killed them didn't you!" Sabra smiled wider as she advanced on Layla. Layla was frightened and she heard the voice again.

"The window. The window_." _ Layla was now clenching her teeth and squeezing her arm in attempt to dull the pain.

"Are you crazy?!" She cried out again. Sabra was now a few steps away. The voice was consistent.

"The window!_" _Layla gathered strength and tried to stand up, leaning against the wall for support.

_Ok. But if you're wrong…_She made a break for the window and jumped out through the stained glass thinking, _I hope you're right!! _

Layla fell, for what seemed like hours and landed on something hard. When she opened her eyes she saw Epona, galloping as fast as she could, whinnying. Layla righted herself on the saddle, despite the shackles on her arm, and thought

_I can't believe I made it! _The Gerudo guards noticed Layla and started to run after her. She felt an arrow swoop by. Her eyes widened.

_I have to get out of here now! _She kicked Epona to go faster. It was nearly impossible for the Gerudos on foot to catch up with Layla; it didn't mean that they couldn't kill her, though. She managed to jump beneath the gates just as they were closing.

Layla rode through the canyon at a fast pace, avoiding all of the Gerudo sentries. Soon, a huge gap in the canyon lay ahead of the two. The path ended right in front of it; no alternatives. Layla bit her lip. She hated heights, but she also knew that this was her only chance out of Gerudo territory. Epona didn't seem to care. With all of the arrows whizzing by her head, it was the most reasonable thing to do at the moment. Epona ended up trying to jump the gap. Pushing off of the dry canyon floor, Epona leaped off of the ground in attempt to reach the other side.

Closing her eyes, Layla gripped the horse's short mane tightly. At first, she felt like she was flying through the air. Epona had soared across the gap. But her small body wasn't ready to jump quite that far. The small horse had missed.

The two spiraled down into the gap, landing in a large river at the bottom with a great splash.

_Layla felt...happy. Younger, and more unknowing. She was four again. Her foster mother and father stood before her, smiling and laughing. They were outside the door, looking down upon a small crate that had apparently been sent by a royal official, saying 'Happy birthday, her name is Epona' on the tag. Layla totted over to peek inside. She bent over the edge and saw a pair of two great blue eyes. They belonged to a small red filly with a snow white mane and a black muzzle. The two stared at each other awkwardly for some time before the filly climbed out of the crate and licked Layla. Stunned, the girl sat on her rump and gawked. She got up and rubbed the horse's nose making a remark somewhat like 'Hawsee give me kissy!' Soon, the two acquaintances were playing around like old friends. Layla saddened when she saw the filly leaving towards the stables._

_Her mother then scooped her up and walked into a tent. There were presents on the floor: toys, clothes, and treats. Her parents took out a shimmering headband, much larger than Layla's head, and started to put it on her. It pulsed frequently; the girl found herself staring at its sparkling golden crest...it was so...__**shiny**__._

_Her mother and father stood shaking in the corner, pointing at her and muttering gibberish. Layla cocked her head feeling two giant ears fall upon it. She soon got bored, so she wagged her tail and ran out the open door, not really caring that she was now a dog._

_There he was. That white puppy. He stared at her dumbly; tongue lolling. She found herself almost angry at this complete stranger, so naturally, she started wrestling with him. They tussled about for quite a long time until the ground suddenly slipped from beneath Layla, and she fell._

_Now she was drowning. The force of the river pushed her downstream and underwater, and she couldn't get back to the surface. She struggled continuously, but to no avail. Then just as quick as she had fallen in the water, she was carried out. Layla coughed a few times and stared up at her rescuer in awe. He was towering above her like a giant, with massive teeth and huge paws. The strangest thing about him was that he had blue eyes. As blue as the sky itself. Layla shivered to herself, being reminded that she was plucked out of the water with his gleaming sharp teeth. _

_Then, the white puppy was taken out of the water. Layla was completely oblivious to the fact he'd jumped in after her. How stupid. The sun was reflecting so much light off of the thing that carried him; Layla couldn't see it. The large dog, no, wolf that saved Layla from the river took out a small green pointed hat and placed it on the other puppy's head. The white puppy wagged his tail in thanks, then went into a sort of trance when the wolf showed him a black belt. Layla was about to trot over and see what it was when the wolf turned around and she was met with...a shiny?_


	3. Lefties

**I didn't realize the whole deja vou thing until I actually wrote this. Looking back on it, I think it was a good idea.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Zelda, Nintendo, this piece of cheese, or this hair clip (how'd that get there?"), or the fuzz on my feet. That was the dog's.**

**Chapter 3: Lefties**

_A blood curdling howl echoed across the midnight sky. Rain came down in streams from the clouds, hitting the ground at a thunderous rate and turning it into soft mud. The music of a wolf continued; this time it was closer. All in the forest stood still, quaking with fear. The wind blew at a tremendous force. Another howl. Now the forest creatures hid safely in holes or in trees. Then it came._

_It raced through the brush like a speeding arrow. No one saw it, for it only appeared to be a blur. But it carried something covered white cloth; something special. _

_The wolf came from the direction of Kakario, heading south, to the forest of fairies. His soft grey and white fur was dripping in wet blood that was not of his own. Nothing marked his identity, save for two blue earrings dangling from his ears._

_The wolf wasn't alone though. He was being pursued. The three cloaked riders were far away. They camped at the edge of the forest, saying it was too dark to carry on. They really were frightened. The wolf had scared them like cuccos in a yard full of dogs. Even the forest itself was scary; it was rumored that whoever entered would also never exit. They might be turned into monsters. _

_The wolf easily escaped from the strangers, jumped across the broken bridge, and ran into the glade, disappearing from view..._

__

"Ravi!" Makar's voice yelled, "Ravi!" He yelled again, shaking the bed.

The blonde haired boy sat up abruptly, grabbing his head.

"Another nightmare, huh?" Makar asked.

Ravi sighed and nodded. The dreams, or rather nightmares, had been happening for quite a while now. Not only had they been horrific, but also sad. In addition, Ravi couldn't get any sleep. This had been the worst one yet.

"I think I'll be fine. I just need to stop at Hollo's and get a potion to help."

Hollo was the Korok's doctor. He always collected curiosities like Boko Baba seeds to add to his potions. The concoctions themselves tasted odd, but they always did the trick for a wound or sickness. Of course, there weren't many people who were wounded anyway because the Korok forest was a place of peace. Most of the potions were used on injured animals or plants. Hollo had a habit of saying, "ONJALLA! MANJALLA! CHOW-WAY!" just before completing every potion he made.

Ravi stood up and pulled on his brown leather boots and his signature green pointed hat. Most of the Koroks had laughed at him for it, but Ravi loved the hat. It always gave him a comforting feeling; not to mention it kept his head warm. Makar hovered and landed on top of his wooden dresser, pulling out a black belt with a shining golden circle and a beautiful swirl on the front.

"Did you forget what today was, Ravi? It's your birthday!" Clutching the belt, the Korok jumped off the dresser and flew in front of the green clad boy.

"You know I didn't. I'm twelve now, right?"

"Yes! Right! And this is for you!" Makar held out the belt for Ravi to see. The boy smiled and said, "Thanks Makar! You really want me to have this?"

"Of course I do Ravi. I also have an important message for you."

"What is it?" Ravi asked quizzically while putting on the belt. Makar jumped down in front of the boy and said, "The Great Deku Tree has asked for you to come see him." Ravi gasped, "Really? Am I going to become a real Korok?" Makar shrugged, "Maybe. You better hurry; he made it sound pretty urgent." Ravi nodded, "Right. I'll just pick up a potion to go."

"No, no. I already arranged for Hollo to have it ready. Just make sure you pick it up. Now, hurry. Go!"

Ravi waved and dashed out the door, hearing Makar mutter, "Swordsman, I wish you could see him now."

The boy in green ran out of his tree house in a hurry. He didn't want to be late for his meeting with the Great Deku Tree. He pushed by most of the Koroks, who were going about their daily activities, saying, "Sorry! Whoops!" Ravi found Hollo standing outside his door, arm outstretched, holding a bottle filled with a blue substance. The kid dashed past him, grabbing the bottle and storing it in his pocket as he was running.

One wimpy man in particular was a Hylian and, in fact, just so happened to be heading in the Great Deku Tree's direction, holding a sword and shield. He was swishing through a moat rather slowly in his red underwear and green tights exclaiming in the loudest voice, "I'm going to be a hero! I'm going to be a hero!" Ravi appeared, rushing through the paths. The boy had no time to swim through the moat, so he jumped on top of the fellow's head, using it as a bridge.

"Sorry!" Ravi said in a rush, leaving the middle aged man behind him soaking in mud, clueless.

The Great Deku Tree's clearing was simple. It was rounded, with a small path leading up to the tree. When Ravi entered, it was no different. The tree was positioned in the center, and his face was grieved. The Great Deku Tree took a long look at Ravi, before saying, "Whoa…Deja vou." Ravi blinked and said, "Ya, seriously." The tree stopped and shook himself, then returned to the point of business.

"Ravi, you are about to embark on a journey like no other. The challenges you face will be immense. The sacrifices you make will be unforgettable. The dust you will eat will make you absolutely noxious."

"What?!"

"Never mind that last part. What you are about to learn is crucial. Your destiny is not to become a Korok. It is to leave this forest and start a quest."

"What?!"

"You must go and find an object called the Master Sword and strike down evil with its power and save the Triforce from evil's clutches."

"What?!"

"Just shut up and listen! You are not a Korok! You are Hylian, a race with pointed ears and the knack to be either kidnapped or bound to little annoying fairies named Navi. That belt you wear is from the hero himself, your father, the one spoken of in legends-,"

Then, the Great Deku Tree groaned in pain. He shook the ground with his mighty weight and said, "Ravi, there was a swordsman that was on his way to vanquish the monsters torturing my soul. Did you see him on your way?" Ravi stared at the ground and twiddled his thumbs behind his back. The man back at the moat…

"Well uh…"

"It does not matter. He was annoying anyway…I think you'll do just fine to go in his stead. Here, take these."

The Great Deku Tree shook himself once more. A great light emitted from in front of Ravi, making two items appear: a small sword, and an old brown shield.

"What am I supposed to do with these?" Ravi asked, eyeing the two old weapons.

"What do you think you're supposed to do with them? Pick up the sword and shield,"

Ravi picked up the two tools.

"...with your RIGHT hand!" Ravi hesitated, "But I-,"

"Lefties…" The Great Deku Tree muttered.

Ravi had dashed into the depths of the Great Deku Tree with his new sword and shield. Cutting through the thick vines and spider webs, he made his way through the darkness of the tree. Everything was old and dusty; Ravi had to burn most of the entrance ways since they were cluttered with leaves and such. The chambers were often filled with skeletons or large puddles of water.

He came to a halt when one room had no exit. There were several torches scattered about the room's walls, and a wooden latter suspended high above the ground leading to a small alcove with a door. Naturally, Ravi searched the room for a switch of some kind. He eventually found one, although, it was like the ladder; high above him on the ceiling. Ravi sat down in defeat. There wasn't any possible way he could reach a switch that far above the ground. He stared in horror at the skeleton next to him.

"I hope I don't become like you." Ravi said shaking. Then, he noticed the small contraption the skeleton was holding.

"Oh wow, a bow!" Ravi carefully detached it from the bony hand and pulled a quiver from the skeleton's back. He played around with it; plucking the string and striking a pose.

"Now I can hit that switch." Ravi took an arrow from the quiver and pulled it back on the bow. With precise aim, he let the arrow fly straight into the switch, making the ladder fall within reach. Jumping with excitement, Ravi ran to the ladder and started climbing. He quickly reached the top and dashed through the door.

There was a long hallway followed by a huge door with a big crack running through the middle. Ravi guessed that someone had broken it open. Hearing voices, he cautiously entered the room making sure to stay behind one of the many statues scattered about the chamber. He peeked around the corner to see just who was causing the Great Deku Tree so much pain.

Just in the center of the room were three cloaked men, apparently interrogating two shining fairies. The small orbs of light quivered in one of the men's hands trying to get free.

"We d-don't know what this s-sage thing i-is! Hon-honest! Please don't h-urt my brother!" The little yellow fairy squeaked out the words in attempt to loosen the man's grip. One of the cloaked people grimaced.

"Then where is the kid?! We know you were here twelve years ago! You were some of the forest folk that helped that mangy mutt." The man pulled out his sword, ready to brutally hurt the fairies.

"We haven't seen the child for ages. For all we know he could be dead…" The purple fairy choked.

"Silence!" The man thundered, making the fairies tremble again.

"Sabra knows very well that both of the children still exist. Otherwise she and Prince Anthony would be in control of this filthy land. And this," the man held up some sort of golden plate with something that Ravi recalled as the Triforce on it, "wouldn't be glowing now would it?" The fairies gasped at the sight of the beautiful plate. It pulsed frequently in the man's hand. What neither Ravi nor the men knew was that now it was glowing a little brighter.

"So you do know about the child?" None of the fairies said anything.

"Answer me!" The man shook the fairies in his fist. Seeing that no sound was coming out of the shivering fairies, the man shoved them down on a flat statue and raised his sword. Just as it was coming down, Ravi jumped from the statue, unsheathed his sword, and barked, "Leave them alone!"

All three men turned to Ravi and gasped.

"G-general, sir!" One of the men stuttered. The controlling cloaked person that was about to eliminate the fairies lowered his sword and smiled.

"No, it's not the general you idiot, it's the kid! Get him!" All three of them lunged at Ravi, wielding swords about twice his own length. The boy held up the rusty old shield the Great Deku Tree had given him and braced himself. Clearly, the shield wasn't very stable, and Ravi felt it. The force of the man's sword had come down upon it like a rock, nearly knocking him off his feet. Blow upon blow landed on Ravi, who desperately tried to keep his stance. Then it occurred to him that only one man was attacking him. He stole a few glances around the chamber and saw the fairies were distracting the other two men like bees. The little balls of light ran into them, dodging their flailing swords and constantly luring them away from Ravi. It really was a comical site to see a couple of well trained soldiers being bombarded by two measly fairies.

"Take that! And that, you bum!" The purple one exclaimed. Just then, the white one smashed into the man, square in the forehead, and yelled, "!" After one final blow, the first of the three men fell, "I've been beaten by a fairy..."

"And a _girl _fairy at that!" The fairy sniffed and rushed to help her brother.

Ravi and the apparent leader of the three men were both fighting hard with each other. Well, Ravi was. The little boy tried his best to keep up with the man. In fact, he didn't even have any offense what so ever. Poor Ravi jumped around holding up his shield so he wouldn't get hurt. He'd just keep blocking until sweat poured down his face. Ravi was almost at defeat when the man jumped awkwardly in front of him, dropping the pulsing gold plate. For a while, Ravi was in lala-land. The bright golden piece was so pretty and sparkly...

The man effortlessly slashed repetitively at the boy of destiny, who hid behind his shield in terror. _Just as I thought, _the man said to himself, _what a wimp. Too bad, he might have become a good guard._ Then he jumped in front of the kid, ready to tear off his head when he heard a familiar _clink _on the ground. The green clad boy stopped for a moment; his eyes were glazed over in amazement at the artifact.

Then he snapped. The kid snapped. The man found that now he himself was blocking his face in fear. The boy was striking like a thousand warriors all at once. Up, down, right, up, left; it was all too much. The man was down in less than a minute._ This kid is __**amazing**__... _The man tried not to flinch as he stared up into the demonic blue eyes of the boy; it was the last thing he ever saw.

Ravi felt his vision come back; it was like being in a dream. He looked down at the fallen man at his feet. There was a look of unchangeable horror on his face. Ravi shivered and held up his sword.

"Ewwww...," is what he said when he saw that it was covered in blood. He casually wiped it on the dead man's cloak. Then Ravi remembered the sparkly...He skipped over to where he had last seen it fall and picked it up. Looking down upon it for one last time, Ravi stuffed it into one of his pockets.

The boy chuckled when he saw the purple and yellow fairies chasing the other guard out of the Great Deku Tree. He thought that if fairies had tongues, they'd be sticking them out right now.

"HAHAHA! Serves them right!" The purple fairy made a happy ringing sound. Then the yellow one saw Ravi standing over the other lifeless corpse and gasped.

"You didn't...how did you...?" Ravi asked himself that same question. How **did **he kill that man?

"Errr...I don't know." Ravi shrugged and sheathed his sword.

"Oh, thanks for helping me with those soldiers. You two are tough fairies!"

"Well of course we are!" The yellow fairy scoffed. The purple one scowled at her and said, "No, thank you! If it weren't for you, we'd have never gotten out of the Great Deku Tree alive again." The fairies zoomed over to Ravi and circled around him.

"My name's Tael, and this is my sister, Tatl! I think the three of us make a great team! Do you think we could, well, you know, hang out with you for a while?" The purple one asked.

"Sure! Oh, and my name's Ravi." The three of them started talking on their way back out of the Great Deku Tree.

"So he said you've got a daddy?" Tael asked.

"Yup!"

Tatl flew further away from the other two.

"So what? Everyone does," She said coldly.

"That's so cool! Wow, that means you have a mommy too!" Tael was excited beyond all reason.

"Yeah-wait, why? And what's a mommy?"

"Huh...well...errrr..." Tael really didn't want to be the one to explain this. Then again, he didn't exactly know himself. Hylians were different then fairies. "I guess...well...mommies are the same thing as daddies 'cept they're girls! Yeah!"

"Oh..." Ravi said, completely oblivious to the large amount of pressure taken off of Tael.

They casually walked out of the Great Deku Tree and stood before him.

"Great Deku Tree! I beat the evil men inside of you!" Ravi shouted happily.

"You did very well Ravi. Very well indeed!" The Great Deku Tree praised Ravi, mildly. Then he started nagging him about how much of a girl he was. "Just, next time, don't sit there and hold up your shield like a wuss. Be a man!" Ravi, by now, was playing with a ladybug in the grass.

"Huh? Oh yeah- hey I'm not a girl!"

"Sure N00b. Now you must hurry off and start your adventure. Find the Master Sword and bring it to a woman named Tala; she'll know what to do with it. Oh and due to your extreme stupidity and lack of sword training, one of those guards have escaped and is wreaking havoc on the village," and with that, the Great Deku Tree fell asleep for unknown reasons.

"Alriiiiiiiighty then." Tatl was weirded out. Tael remembered the task at hand and yelled, "Come on, Ravi, let's go! The village is in trouble!" Ravi nodded, "Right!" The three bounded off through the forest. The Great Duku Tree moaned as Ravi sliced a few blades of grass on his way out.

"Oh come on! I just had those planted!"

The whole village was in distress, even though only one man had intruded. There were Koroks everywhere, shouting and screaming bloody murder. Ravi worriedly looked around for his friend Makar...He didn't see him.

"Makar!!" Ravi yelled. Tael jumped, "There he is! Over there!" The boy's panicked gaze was drawn to where Tael pointed. There he saw the cloaked man jump out of the bushes and run out of the forest, carrying a small tree shaped figure; Makar. Ravi dashed after them, accidentally stepping on the middle aged man dressed in red undies and a strange green outfit again...

"Stop!!" The boy and his friends dashed behind the kidnapper, trying to gain on him. And they were. Ravi showed amazing speed, ignoring the 'slow down' cries of the fairies trailing behind him. The boy was almost there, just barely able to brush the man's waving cloak. But the crook suddenly ran into the heavy thorned bushes, leaving Ravi behind.

Stubborn as ever, Ravi leaped in. Thorns and spiky plants scraped and pierced his skin, leaving painful scratches. But Ravi was determined; he had to save Makar. Finally Ravi emerged from the bushes, tunic torn, cuts and all. But he didn't see anything in the small clearing. Nothing but a few butterflies and flowers. Ravi sighed and plopped down, defeated. Shortly after, the fairies arrived, huffing and puffing.

"Are you crazy?! Who the devil just waltzes into the thorns like that without a care of being hurt? I can't believe what an idiot-" Tael interrupted his sister and tried to console her.

"Tatl, calm down! It's okay, I'm sure anyone would-"

"No, not even a mental person would do that! Except for-"

"TATL, CALM DOWN!" Tael was breathing heavily, "He just lost one of his best friends. Lay off, alright?" Tatl snorted and flitted away. Her brother sighed and flew over to Ravi.

"It's okay. We'll get 'em back!" Ravi turned his sad face to Tael, making the fairy's heart wrench. The boy had the sweetest face in Hyrule! No doubt it would soften the heart of anyone...Tael snapped out of his heartbreak and looked up at the orange twilight sky.

"For now, we should go back and get some provisions, then head out. Maybe we'll have some luck tomorrow." Ravi sniffled and nodded, standing up and walking towards the village.

"Hey, Tael?" Ravi kept his eyes on the ground.

"Yeah?"

"What's a porvissen?"

Tatl came out of her hiding place and scoffed, "It's provision,food and clothing, you nimrod." Ravi gave her a hurt look.

"Compared to what she does to other people, I think she likes you," Tael laughed.

**In case you were wondering, I got really bored with the whole 'thou art going on a mission' thing with the Great Deku Tree. So, I made it interesting. I think he has the best character attitude that I've really captured; one of my favorites. And if you still need help envisioning Ravi, then think Young Link.**


	4. Consolation

**Question of the day: What does suicidal mean?**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Zelda or Nintendo. Or Tom Sawyer. Or Peter Pan.**

**Chapter 4: Girls Are Emotional**

They made camp for the night in the same clearing that Ravi had lost Makar, thanks to the yellow fairy's incredible sense of navigation. (hehe lol **navi**gation for those who didn't catch that. SIGH. I'm a bad comedian.) Ravi pulled out his green blanket and rested himself out on the ground. Tael snuggled himself under the blanket next to Ravi, while Tatl stubbornly slept out on a rock by herself. The forest boy yawned, "Good night..." and drifted off into a deep sleep.

_He was in a room that smelled of the forest. No doubt that he was actually in the forest. In Korok village. The sound of pattering rain filled the room._

_"Really? Oh he is so cute! I cannot wait to take care of him!" The small familiar voice of a Korok squeaked from behind a corner._

_"Yes, and keep him safe. Make sure you give him this..." A warm, almost kind voice, but with authority, and a hint of lithe..._

_He was now in his toddler years. Complete with a innocent mischievous attitude. It was his fourth birthday. Ravi walked through the forest without a care, carrying Makar's special box of treasures. He sat clumsily by the stream, taking out its contents. A picture of a green looking man, some chocolate (which Ravi thoroughly enjoyed), and a pretty belt...it was shiny._

_He woke up a while later with chocolate on his long cylendar face. It was sticky. He couldn't sit up very well. His legs were all hairy. Ew. His ears were flopping over his face, much to his annoyance. Then he saw a black girl puppy. She barked and jumped on him. Ravi pushed her over and tumbled with her playfully until they got too close to the stream. The girl puppy fell over. Not good. _

_Ravi leaped in after, wondering just what the heck a death wish was anyway. He hit water. Ow. He fell under water. Couldn't breathe. Ravi didn't like water. He still couldn't breathe. Ravi tried to find the girl puppy. She was gone. Still couldn't breathe. His vision was getting blurry. Couldn't breathe for the last time...Oh wait, nice strong mouth grabbing him. He was pulled out of water. He could breathe again. _

_The girl puppy sat next to him. Her tongue was going up and down up and down...A big giant wet doggy stood behind the girl puppy. He scared Ravi. Nice warm tongue licked Ravi from behind. Gross...yet...comforting? Ravi turned around but went blind. Big shiny light. He couldn't see other doggy's face. Ravi pouted. Then big doggy came and put a funny hat on Ravi. The hat was too big. Like Ravi's ears. It was green. Ravi liked green. Ravi shivered and gave big doggy a hug. Then big doggy looked sad. He pulled out shiny again..._

Ravi was this time, instead, awoken by Tatl's voice.

"Wake up, sleeping beauty! We got to go! Come ON!!" She shook him a couple of times before Ravi got up. The boy groggily rubbed his eyes and jumped. He had a good dream, without taking Hollow's potion! Maybe this was the end of his nightmares!

"Yes!!!! I'm free!!!" Tatl and Tael looked at Ravi awkwardly. He started to explain, "I've been having nightmares for months now and I'm finally free!"

"Okay, that's nice. Just don't run around yelling 'I'm free' unless you want to get shot," Tatl warned him. Ravi rolled his eyes and put his blanket in his backpack.

The three of them continued through the forest, keeping a sharp eye out for any trace of the kidnapper. Soon, Ravi heard the rushing sound of the Rito River.

"Hey guys, I think the river's close," he said.

"Great! We can stock up on water when we get there," Tael exclaimed, looking at the empty canteen on Ravi's back.

The Rito River was very clean. Clear, crystal waters flowed through the forest noisily, but it felt silent and smooth, like the water itself. A few rocks dotted the stream with a recently fixed bridge, along with a couple of fish. Ravi came here every so often to go fishing; it just so happened he was good at it. The boy looked like a mix of Tom Sawyer and Peter Pan with his bare feet and green attire. Sometimes he would be met by two or three Zora swimming by. Like the Gorons, their race was small; it had dwindled to a few hundred or so. Makar used to tell Ravi stories of when they were great in number, filling the Great Sea with shining scales; sailors often thought of them as mermaids.

Ravi pulled the canteen off of his back and started to fill it when he saw a bit of dark red on the shore...

"Ravi! Get over here!" Tael shouted urgently. Ravi capped the container and ran over to Tael.

"What is it?" Ravi gasped. A girl, about his age, lay on the beach motionless. She had long brown hair with a streak of blond and a headband running through it. Dark red clothes covered her with a set of brown leather boots.

"What are you waiting for? We have to help her!" Tatl yelled. Ravi quickly got down on his knees next to the girl and started digging in his pack. He pulled out a blue bottle, popped the cork, and put it to the girl's lips. At first, her eyes fluttered open and closed. Then she coughed and sputtered a bit until she jumped back from Ravi.

"What the-... Are you trying to drown me or something?! What a stupid hat!" Ravi stared quite blankly at her before checking the ingredients on the bottle.

"It didn't say it had side effects...," Ravi said calmly before standing up and putting it back into his bag. The girl gave him an icy look, then started searching on the beach for something.

"Where is she...," The girl muttered.

"Whacha lookin' for?" Ravi asked quizzically. The girl ignored him and started calling out, "Epona!!" Ravi cocked his head.

"What's an Epona?"

"Just shut up," The girl snapped, "Epona!!" She called out again.

"Hey, you shouldn't just disregard him like that after he used his only potion to save your life!" Tael said, making quite a point.

"Well then fairy boy here just made stupid mistake number one...,EPONA!!" Tatl smirked, "Heh, at least _someone_ has some smarts around here." The girl frowned.

"She must have gone downstream..." She let out a long sigh. Ravi smiled cheerily and said, "I'm Ravi, and this is Tatl and Tael." The girl turned around to face Ravi and narrowed her eyes.

"Listen, I don't have time for this. It's been a pleasure; it really has. But I need to go find my horse." As she marched away she said sarcastically, "Nice name, _Ravioli_." Ravi gasped seeing she was walking alongside of the slimy, muddy banks.

"Wait, don't walk over-," He was too late. The girl had slipped into the stream again, hanging onto a small weed on the shore.

"...there." Ravi rushed to her side as Tael burst out in laughter. After Ravi pulled her up, the girl growled and tackled him.

She couldn't take it. This kid was a big, happy-go-lucky idiot. She lunged at him after he pulled her out of the river; he held up his arms in fear. Then she felt two tiny hands tugging her away from Ravi. The girl swung her fists in the air to get another punch at the boy, but was yanked back by the fairies.

"Hold your horses! Ravi just tried to warn you!" The little purple fairy called Tael said between laughs.

"Thanks for stating the obvious, now let me go," She said. The fairies released her, and Layla stood up and walked away again, careful to walk away from the edge of the river.

"You know, she's worse than you are," Tael panted. Tatl twitched and slapped him.

"Wait!" Ravi shouted and ran to catch up with the girl.

"Where are you going?" The girl turned her head angrily and said, "To find my horse."

"Oh wow! You have a horse? I've heard of them but I've never actually seen one. Makar says they eat a lot of grass and go to the bathroom three times a day and they're really fast and stuff-,"

"Don't make me sock you again," She said coldly.

"Can we go with? We're going to the castle, it's on the way! Oh please, oh please, oh please!" She grimaced and ran a hand through her hair. _Could you leave me alone? Oh please, oh please, oh please!_This boy was a pain. A real nut case. But something within her liked the company...and it overpowered the side that didn't.

"Sure," The girl said begrudgingly.

"Yeah! We're gonna have so much fun! Like telling each other secrets, and singing Korok folktales, and hey are you a Korok? I'm not anymore, cause the Great Deku Tree said I had a daddy and his name is...well...I don't know his name but he's a hero and he has a legend and that means I have a mommy too but I don't know why...It's kinda weird," Ravi went on and on and on. The girl really didn't care, although, she was interested in the hero thing. Her foster parents had only briefly described the hero, saying he 'wore all green with a funny cap and a sword' and 'No one knows much about him except for the fact he was kinda like a nomad.'

"...and that is how I spilled tea all over the floor so now it smells like potions that Hollow makes. Did you know about Hollow? He was the doctor and he gave me that blue potion I used to save you, but it was supposed to be for my nightmares. I get those a lot and they're really weird with dogs and sparkling things and-," She stopped him. Did he just say..._dogs_?

"Wait a minute, tell me what you saw."

"Oh, well," he said, bringing a hand to his chin,"Usually I find a shiny and I turn into a puppy thing and then I almost drown with another puppy and we get saved and one big giant dog gives me this hat," Ravi said, tugging on his green pointed cap. The girl's eyes widened. It was the hat in her dream...This kid has the same dreams she has...and they both were in it.

"And then I see a big golden sparkling thing-,"

"...and everything goes black," The girl finished for him. Ravi looked at her in amazement.

"How did you-,"

"Know? I...have the same dreams every night." Ravi stayed in his state of wonder for a while and then gasped.

"Gee, I don't even know your name! What is it?" The girl waited a few seconds before answering.

"It's Layla." Ravi went into deep in thought.

"Hmmmmmmm..."

"What is it?" Ravi winked at her.

"Every time I hear someone's name, I can tell if they're good or bad." Layla felt guilt pierce her like a knife. She hadn't exactly been...kind to Ravi. Last time she checked, thanking someone for saving your life with a punch wasn't exactly a good thing to do. Although, Ravi didn't seem to care.

"And...," Layla said, urging Ravi to continue with his decision.

"And...you're good!" The boy smiled at her as relief washed over Layla. And for the first time since she had ever met Ravi and his oddball fairies, Layla smiled.

Ravi pulled Layla behind a tree as the last cloaked rider passed. They had traveled all day until the people wielding swords from before appeared just after sunset. They were chased all the way downstream; then they had hid from view, eager to rest. When they were gone, Ravi sighed with relief.

"Man, what is up with those guys?" Tael zoomed out of Ravi's cap. Layla sat down with a heave.

"I don't know, but this isn't the first time they'd been after me."Tatl suddenly became interested in the conversation.

"When? How?" Layla leaned her head up against the trunk of an over sized tree.

"It's a long story..." Ravi plopped down next to her and searched around in his pack for food.

"We've got time," he said, taking out two weird yellow cup-shaped flowers.

"What are those?" Layla pointed at the odd flowers. Ravi took a bite of one and said, "Honeycups. They taste great on bread...but we don't have any. Too bad." He handed her one to taste. She gently pulled off a petal and started to chew on it when she gagged.

"Ugh...this tastes like spoiled milk! Don't you people eat meat or anything?" Ravi's smile turned upside down.

"That's mean! I like fish, but Koroks don't ever eat animals, they're our best friends!" Layla pulled a bow and some arrows out of Ravi's pack.

"Well then, you're not a Korok anymore, remember?" Layla said, aiming the bow at a small squirrel and shooting it. She smirked at the state of surprise the fairies were in; she'd always been a sharp shooter from the day she was born.

"How...how?" Tael managed to stutter.

"Uhhh...lot's of practice," Layla picked up the dead squirrel and set to work on a fire. A couple minutes, and a few ramblings later, there was a smell of cooked meat wafting throughout the woods. Layla handed a piece of it to Ravi.

"Here's to bein' Hylian!" She said remembering what the soldiers did when they ate, lifting a piece of food in the air like a goblet.

"Yeah..." Ravi said looking disgustedly at it. He shoved it into his mouth, trying not to chew, but he found himself liking it. Ravi ended up eating almost half the squirrel; Layla whacked him over the head so he wouldn't eat her portion.

"Layla?" Ravi said, leaning up against the tree trunk.

"Huh?"

"What's it like...you know...having a dad...and a mom?"Layla shifted her position away from Ravi and thought of how she should answer that.

"The thing is...I never knew my parents. A person told me that cloaked riders like the ones today chased after us. Then they dropped me off at someone else's door and left. I've been living with those people and thought they were my parents all my life. But then..." Layla choked back a sob. It was hard talking about it. No matter how hard she tried to be tough, the tears always came.

"But then they told me I had real parents; that I belonged somewhere else," tears finally came down cheeks and quietly slid to the ground, "I ran away...and got myself in trouble. We were kidnapped, and my foster parents were killed. Epona and I escaped, but we fell into the Rito River. I washed up ashore, and then I met you," Layla pulled off her headband and showed it to Ravi, "This is the only thing that came from my real parents." She broke off and started crying nonstop.

Ravi blinked _girls sure are emotional..._he thought. Having no idea of what to do, he hugged her.

"It's alright! I lost my parents too. We can both find them together!" She stretched out her feet and let her head slide onto his shoulder sleepily.

"Promise?" Ravi yawned and pulled out his blanket.

"Promise," he said before slipping off to sleep.

_It was an immense library, filled with books of all kinds. They covered the walls like tiles of a giant mosaic. A large fireplace sat in the center, with a golden blond haired woman, clearly expecting, sitting at the desk, looking intently at one green book. Specifically, page fifty-six. _

_The woman was most likely a noble, with a nice clean dress and a beautiful tiara atop her head. There were jewels and such everywhere on her outfit. Rubies, Sapphires, and Emeralds covered her. But there was one that had a sparkle to drown out them all. It was on her middle finger, a diamond, so small yet so bright. Any merchant would gladly sell his entire collection to get his hands on it._

_"You can never stop reading, can you?" A young man came up behind her and stood over the desk. He was a knight of superior ranking, a captain perhaps, with blond hair; wearing nothing but green. _

_"At least I don't sleep like a redead all day," the woman replied tartly. The man nodded._

_"You have a point." He immediately tensed when she showed signs of concern._

_"What's wrong? Are you alright? Is everything okay?" He asked nervously._

_"Every thing's fine, don't worry. It's just...here read this page." She pointed to the book, moving out of his way so he could see. The knight chewed his lip, but didn't seem to care about what it said._

_"Alright, so, there's lycanthropy involved. It's fine...just a little..kink in the plan."_

_"We're _**going**_ to have identity problems later, fairy boy," she called him that solely to annoy him, "And what if that creep finds out? I swear he'll kill us all..."_

_"Heh, don't worry. Neera's got it all worked out. Besides, we were going to have identity problems to begin with."_

_"I guess you're right," she sighed, "But why in the world did you ask Neera for help? She's one of the retards that started these messes,"_

_"No, at least, not one of them. She said she doesn't work with the Gerudo anymore; thinks they're too structured. And plus, the second thing, you know...all of the sages pitched in; including her. We're all a little guilty in the end." The knight casually put his elbows on the table._

_"It's all so unexpected," She sighed while closing the book. The man arched an eyebrow._

_"I thought you're supposed to start 'expecting the unexpected.'" She laughed at the quote from her nursemaid. The woman smirked back._

_"Yes but I haven't started expecting the unexpected until last August; I'm not very good at it." He smiled at her._

_"I'm sure you'll be great at it." Just then, a rustle of falling books filled the echoing library with an unnerving sound. The knight held his hand in front of the woman, signaling her to stay, and slowly crept towards the source of the sound by the door while unsheathing his sword. Someone was spying on them. The man threw back a pile of disturbed books to find, surprisingly, a small green man with red underwear on the outside of his outfit and a funny green hat like the knight's. _

_"He-hello...M...M...Mr. fairy!" _

_The knight thrust his sword under the quivering man's chin._

_"Tingle, I don't know why, or how, you got here, but you better start explaining." The man known as Tingle gulped while looking down at the looming sword on his throat._

_"Mr. fairy Tingle...j-just came down to t-tell you th-that Lord Anthony Fairy Sir. was just down the hallway...M-Miss Fairy Sir Miss might get caught here again," Tingle said desperately between stutters. The knight rolled his eyes and said, "Alright, how much did you hear?" The blond haired woman walked over with the elaborate book and gasped, covering her mouth._

_"T-Tingle...just heard something about w-werewolves a-and a little...little...bit about Ms. Neera-," The knight sighed and shoved the sword into Tingle's throat to make him tell the truth._

_"OKOK!!! I heard the whole conversation! Just don't hurt Tingle..." The knight silently removed the sword, causing Tingle to gasp for breath, then sheathed it. The woman stared at Tingle intently before asking, "Well, he won't tell Anthony, will he?"_

_"Of course not, he's on our side," The man eyed Tingle, "Right?" Tingle nodded hastily._

_"What are we going to do with him in the mean time?" The woman smiled cockily._

_"I've got an idea..." She moved over to Tingle and bent down, putting the green golden book in his arms._

_"Tingle, you need to take this book, and make sure no one finds it, understand? Guard it with your life." Tingle put a hand to his forehead, in a saluting fashion._

_"Yes, yes, absolutely Miss Fairy Sir Miss. Anything for you, Miss fairy! Tingle will make sure no one touches it!" She smiled._

_"Right. Come on, we need to go," She said, motioning for the knight to follow her. They hurriedly exited the room. Tingle sighed in relief and wiped the sweat off his brow._

__

**Ehhhh, poor Tingle. He's annoying and stupid, but in the end, we all know he has to be in the Zelda series. It's just one of the things in Zelda that make it...well...Zelda!**


	5. Dead Meat

**I know, it's a lovely chapter title, ain't it? Really brings out the hopelessness in things. In case you were wondering, and haven't figured it out, this takes place after WW and probably even PH.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Nintendo or Zelda. Or wolves. But they're cute anyway...so fluffy...awwwwwwwwwwwww.**

**Chapter 5: Dead Meat**

Layla slowly lifted her aching head and yawned, but then jumped. Ravi's face was sitting about five inches away from her face.

"What are you doing?" Ravi blinked and said, "You sleep really late. Makar says it's not good for ya." She sneered at him and stood up, brushing off her tunic.

"I think we should go to the market. There's a ton of people there; at least one of them should have heard of someone named Tala," Tatl flew around the children's heads to hurry them up, "Come on!" Layla started to walk, but stopped and put her hands on her hips.

"Forget that Tala lady! I still need to find Epona! She could be out in the forest, all alone...," She sadly looked out into the woods. Ravi picked up his pack and followed Tatl and Tael.

"The Koroks might find her. Then she'll be safe!" Layla sighed and ran to catch up with Ravi.

"If the Koroks find Epona, she'll go insane before I can get to her!" Tael nudged Tatl and said quietly, "I think Layla will go insane before we do anything." The girl followed silently for a while, chewing her lip. Who was this Tala person? Now she mentioned it, Layla had no idea why Ravi was out here in the first place, other than the fact that this 'Great Deku Tree' thing had told him he wasn't a Korok. They hadn't kicked him out of the forest because of it, or did they?

"Ravi, why are you trying to find a woman named Tala? Who is she?" He smiled, "No idea! The Great Deku Tree just said that I had to find a big bluish sword called the Master Sword and strike evil or something and save Hyrule and Tala is one of the people that can help me." Layla yelped and bit her tongue on accident.

"B-big bluish s-sword?"

"Yeah! I think it should be green though because I like green a lot." Uh oh. If the sword back at the Gerudo Fortress was the Master Sword...Layla gulped.

Ravi was perplexed as to why Layla's face was looking a little more nervous than normal.

"What 's wrong?" Layla ignored his question and said hastily, "Who is the Great Deku Tree?"

"He's the guardian of the forest. When I first saw him I thought he was just a tree, but then I knew somethin' was different 'cause he had a nose and eyes and all of that stuff and it was really weird." The knot in Layla's stomach had just tightened. A forest guardian. If Ravi was some sort of 'savior' then he'd need all of the power he could get. Without the Master Sword...Yep, it was final.

"I wonder if frogs can fly," Ravi said, picking up a small toad.

Hyrule was doomed.

The market was, to be blunt, crowded. Not many could get through, and if you did, you'd be bombarded with more crowds of people. Merchants selling various knick-knacks and thingamajigs yelled out from their stands in attempt to catch the attention of potential buyers. The smell of good food, garbage, smoke, and other scents drifted through the air, all mixed together. Cobblestone paths covered the marketplace, with trash and such all over them. People in windows high above the street put their laundry out to dry, and dumped dirty water on the ground, making some unfortunate people soggy. Occasionally, a newsboy would pass by shouting out a headline from the latest weekly newspaper.

"Extra, extra! Read all about it! Prince Anthony courts Princess Zelda for the thirteenth year today! Royal council insists she gives in!"

Layla stuck her tongue out in disgust.

"Gee I didn't know you could turn some one into a court! And thirteen times in a row too!" Layla sighed inwardly at Ravi and said, "It means that you're trying to get a girl to marry you."

"What is marrying?" Tatl hit Ravi on the head.

"Ow!"

Ravi rubbed his head for a while and was just about to ask why Tatl hit him when something caught his eye. He ran off into the crowds, leaving Layla clueless.

"Ravi! Where are you going?" She called after him, but the crowd drowned her out.

"That way!" Tael pointed to a small shabby looking stand. Layla raced over to it and shook a blank looking Ravi.

"You can't just leave us like that! We'll never be able to find you...," Layla stopped her scolding and saw just what Ravi was staring at. There on the various shelves of junk, was a green book embroidered in gold.

"It's the book," Layla said quietly. Ravi looked as though he was going to reach out and grab it, but Layla stopped him.

"We have to pay for it! If you just took the thing, we'd be thrown into jail!" Ravi had absolutely no idea what a jail was; he guessed it was bad. Then, a voice came out from back of the stand.

"Welcome! Welcome!" The owner of the voice and the stand appeared out from behind a large drape looking doorway. He wore all green, with bright red underwear on the out side of his outfit. A compass dangled from his neck, and he was holding a rolled up piece of paper in one hand. Ravi hid behind Layla; he had a bad feeling about this guy...even if he didn't know his name.

"Hello, Miss Fairy! Tingle is happy to see you! What would you like to buy today? A nice new pair of boots, maybe a beautiful hat!"

"No, actually, we-I was wondering how much that book over there is." Tingle took a glance at it and gasped.

"Tingle is so sorry! That book isn't for sale."

"Are you sure you wouldn't be willing to trade?" Layla said, holding up Ravi. Tingle stopped for a moment, staring intently at Ravi. Then he started going spastic.

"M-Mr. Fairy! What a p-leasent surprise! Tingle w-was j-just protecting t-the b-book," Tingle grabbed it off of the shelf in a heartbeat, "H-here Mr. Fairy can t-take it i-if he w-wants!" Ravi was about to kindly explain that he wasn't a fairy, but the man shoved it into his arms.

"A-anything e-else Mr. F-Fairy?"

"Why, yes of course. For starters, Mr. Fairy would like a sword and a shield and some bread...," Layla began with a devious grin on her face.

"Okay, so, he said Tala would be in a place called, ' The Halfbowl Inn' right?" Tael asked.

"Yeah, wasn't that nice of him to give us all of this stuff?" Ravi put the large amount of bread back in his pack.

"We hit the ultimate sap jackpot!" Layla snickered, holding up her new sword.

Afternoon was just ending in the marketplace, and most of the people had already gone back into their house or inn. All of the buildings lit up like lights on a Christmas tree. There were still a lot of people around, but not as much. A trumpet sounded, and the drawbridge lowered, revealing a whole band of soldiers.

"Make way, for the Princess Zelda, and her suitors," a royal official shouted from the front of the squadron. Immediately, people started to step back onto the sides of the street. Some even came out of their homes to witness the event. Ravi and Layla backed off into the crowd, and Tatl and Tael zoomed under Ravi's hat.

After a mass of soldiers, there was a beautiful white stallion trotting through the street. On top of it, sat an angelic woman with long blond hair. She wore a nice white riding dress, complete with diamonds and jewels. Her head boasted a magnificent silver crown, and on her finger was a dazzling diamond, sparkling fiercely. Behind her, trailed four young men the Princess's age, they all wore decent clothes. Most of them were purple, others were a bright red. The richest of them all, was dressed in purple, with a golden crown and black hair. His black horse struck fear in everyone's hearts. He must have had a stuck up attitude that rivaled most princes', because his nose was clear in the air, and he threw an angry look at everyone who looked upon him.

Ravi, naturally an observer, leaned in closer to get a better look at the Princess. She looked so much like the woman in his dream...He leaned in a little closer again, but before he knew it, Ravi fell face forward and sent he and Layla into the middle of the street; right in front of the stuck up prince.

The man stared at the children with a furious gaze. Ravi rolled forward to protect Layla.

"Who are you to stand in the way of a royal official higher than you? Get out of my way," the prince thundered. In a matter of seconds he had unsheathed his ruby studded sword and lowered it to Ravi and Layla. Ravi swung his shield out from behind his back and held it towards the prince. His fury grew, and the man prepared to make more than just a dent in Ravi's shield. Right when he was about to strike Ravi, the prince was blocked by a flash of gray and white. The crowd of people around the scene gasped. The Princess herself halted her horse and turned around.

Not feeling any pain yet, Ravi and Layla opened their eyes. Then, they both gaped; a giant gray wolf stood in front of them, snarling. The prince, for a moment, was flabbergasted; he tensed up once he recognized the wolf.

"You will not defy me again, general! Learn your place!" The wolf stood his ground. He didn't flinch; only growling in response to the threat.

The man thrust his sword forward, but it was ripped out of his grasp. The wolf had skilfully caught it in his teeth and tossed it to the ground as fast as lighting; shattering the sword like glass.

"Why you insignificant-," The prince was stopped by a crystal clear voice.

"Prince Anthony, you mustn't forget that you are out of your kingdom. Do not judge what is not yours to punish," The prince was somewhat fazed by Zelda's comment. He grunted and continued to the castle. The Princess, in turn, nodded to the wolf, and trotted off down the path.

The gray wolf hurriedly ushered the children out of the crowd and led them to an ally. After most of the ruckus had died down, he spoke, "Are you two okay?" Layla's eyes widened, while Ravi nodded.

"How are you...I mean...why...-," Layla stuttered, surprised the animal could talk. The wolf smiled a toothy grin.

"I'm a wolf of justice, and Prince Anthony isn't the kindest of men. He usually does that to some poor soul whenever he passes through here, weather they've offended him or not. You two were no different." He stretched and shook himself then asked, "Where were you headed?" Layla, still shocked, sat gawking while Ravi grinned like a two year old. This wolf was nice, despite the fact he was a freaky carnivore with razor sharp claws and pearly white fangs with the ability to shatter metal.

"We're goin' to the Halfbowl Inn! I'm Ravi and this is Layla. She's just lookin' for her horse, but she decided to stay with me 'cause she's got nowhere to go, and we're on an adventure!" Layla rolled her eyes. _Note to self; _she thought _never make Ravi a spy_. The wolf nodded; his smile remaining on his face.

"It's just 'round the corner there," he lifted a paw to a corner at the end of the ally way, "Tell the innkeeper 'wild like a wolf' at the appropriate time, and she'll be kinder to a stranger." He acutely lifted an ear to the north as a wind passed by.

"Looks like I'm needed. I'll see you around kids," He leaped away but turned just when he rounded the corner, glancing at the book Layla was holding, "The name's Link; make sure you keep that book safe. It could do a number of things in the wrong hands." With that, he was gone just as swiftly as he came.

"Well that's the last time I'm eating squirrel before bed," Layla said before following Link's directions. Tatl nodded in reply, coming out of Ravi's hat.

"Ditto."

**The reason why Link is a wolf isn't because of the same reasons he's a wolf in Twilight Princess. Why not: As much as I'd love to, I don't really own Twilight Princess right now, or know the plot. So I don't have anything to build off of. Since I won't ever fully explain why Link is a wolf in the story, I'll tell you now. He got bitten by another werewolf in the new Hyrule area, I guess. Simple as that.**

EDIT FROM THE FUTURE: The wolf would have been a crucial element in the story, had I continued it. He's not a wolf just because I thought (and still think) that they are cute.


	6. Country Dialogue

**No, this fic DOESN'T have any alcoholic drinks in it. I'd like my rating to stay at T, thank you very much! Good thing LOZ has good ol' Romani/LonLon ranch milk.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Nintendo, LOZ, or it's pancakes. **

**MMMMMMMMMMMMM, syrupy!**

**Chapter 6: Some Really Bad Country Dialogue**

The Halfbowl Inn was more like a pub on the first floor. There were toothless drunkards jumping around and singing folk songs, waitresses rolling their eyes, and a few shady people here and there.

"This is a weird place; why are people singing and dancing?" Ravi side-stepped a pair of fighting men, "Why do they think hurting someone is funny?"

Layla casually trotted to the bar with Ravi and sat down, ordering some unknown drink and flipping a red rupee onto the counter.

"Welcome to the world of Romani Ranch Milk," Layla said, raising a glass of Chateau Romani to her mouth. Ravi sipped his, liked it, and then guzzled it down. He overheard a few conversations the next seat over.

"That Prince Anthony, always following behind the Princess. She even stayed cooped up in that there castle fer two whole years just ta get away from 'im. I'm tellin' ya, he's gonna get it good from the General sooner er later!" An old hairy bearded man chuckled.

"Yeah, either that, or her man of a nursemaid'll teach 'im a lesson!"

Ravi cocked his head and turned around facing the counter.

"So where are yous two from-," The bartender, a plump lady, asked Layla. Looking at Ravi, she gasped out of surprise, "General!"

The whole bar went silent with murmurs and whisperings. Ravi looked at Layla questioningly; she set her cup down and glared at the woman.

"Look, lady. He's not 'The General,'" She paused, "If he was, then we'd all be dead by now. Trust me."

The bartender, taken aback by Layla's comment, hesitantly said, "Well then why are a couple o' yunguns like yerselves doin' in this here place?" She nodded over to an empty key rack, "We're booked for the night."

"We don't need a place to stay, we're just looking for a lady named Tala," Ravi cheerfully grinned with a milk-mustache face. The bartender pointed to a cloaked person at the end of the counter.

"You wanna see Lady Tala? Go straight to that miss and she'll see if she can arrange something fer ya." The woman raised a hand to her mouth and leaned forward, "You be careful around that one; She's one of them shadow folk. Turn ya right inta a spec of dust if she wanted to." Ravi nodded slowly, mouth agape. He wiped it with the edge of his sleeve and shivered. The dark red clad girl next to him suddenly pulled him off his seat, nearly tearing off his arm, and trotted to the "shadow" lady.

"Layla! What if she's...ya know...mean! I don't wanna be dust all of my life. I sneeze all the time when it's dusty and-," Layla hushed him up with a whip of her finger.

"Shhh. Stop bein' such a baby. You want to see this Tala person, don't you?" He gulped and bobbed his head.

"Good, now stay calm." Layla shut her eyes and swallowed hard. Like a child playing with fire, she raised a finger ever so slightly to touch the figure, but she pulled it back in an instant when the woman talked before Layla even grazed her cloak.

"I heard you four are looking for Lady Tala." Unlike the other townspeople in the inn, this woman spoke formally, without flaw in grammar or having an accent. She was sharp, like a dagger ready to be used at any time.

"I don't trust this lady, guys. She seems really creepy," Tatl whispered in Layla's ear.

"I know about your fairy friends. No need to hide; I won't hurt them." The woman chuckled to herself. It was so scary, but almost _friendly_. Layla and Ravi stiffened like boards for a moment, not knowing what to expect, and then two small fairies crept out of Ravi's hat.

"I can see beyond the normal Hylian eye. Some call me a witch, but I do not consider myself a crazy fool who plays around with dark magic," She turned around and pulled back her cloak, revealing startling features, "I am Guadalupe; if you want to see Lady Tala, you must get through me first." The woman had a sharp face with her chin coming to a point. Her body was nothing but muscle; covered in light armor. White braided hair topped her head with an indigo beaded chain on one of her snow white locks. It was frightening, to say in the least. People would sometimes make remarks that it was her toned body that scared everyone off. Others...

"Are you old?" Ravi asked stupidly. Layla slapped her forehead.

Guadalupe smiled eerily; the kind of eerie smile that makes you wonder if you're in trouble, or if you've done something right.

Her smile disappeared as she said, "Although you are only children, you cannot see Lady Tala just yet. There are strange people in the world that can do very bad things. As a result, I can only allow a select few see Lady Tala a day." Ravi scratched his head in confusion; he'd been lost in the conversation ever since Guadalupe mentioned her confusingly hard to pronounce name. But Layla gave everything the woman said a thorough check. She knew there was something more to this person. She closed her eyes and turned those words around in her head for quite a while, trying to ponder just what Guadalupe was getting at. Something had been missing for the past few days...

"People in these times can be just as crazy and sly as foxes..." The words sounded trumpets in Layla's mind.

_'Wild like a wolf' _There it was; the voice in her head that had saved her from the Gerudo Fortress.

"...and wild like wolves," Layla said quietly with a slight smirk on her face. Ravi was about to ask, but refrained when Guadalupe stood up and grinned.

"Very good, little girl. You passed my test," She motioned to a door in the corner of the room, "Follow me; Lady Tala should be here shortly." Ravi stared blankly at Layla.

"I don't get it."

Guadalupe pushed open the creaking door with a slight shove and held it open for Ravi and Layla. The two slowly walked in and looked around.

The inn probably didn't have rooms of the utmost quality, but if it did, this would be an example of one. The small bed in the corner was neatly made, with a wooden nightstand sitting next to it. The carpet was a regal red embedding itself in front of the fireplace, which was blazing and warm, and it had a few sailboats on top of the mantle. A writing desk sat lonely in the far right corner with a dozen papers scattered across it. _So this lady must be quite the popularity queen...,_Layla thought. Ravi thought it reminded him of his old tree house, minus the fireplace. No one in the forest had ever made a fire; it was considered an offense to the trees.

"Feel free to make yourself at home. I'll be waiting for the Lady Tala outside the door," Guadalupe offered, and then disappeared, like she really was a shadow, behind the door.

After she was gone, Layla smiled and jumped onto the big purple chair in front of the fire.

"This place is nice," she said lazily, laying on the chair.

The group quickly took to the room; Layla swung her feet comfortably above Ravi, who was sitting on the carpet with his legs crossed, while Tael flew over to the fire and warmed himself.

"Ahhhhh...I could get used to this."

Ravi traced a finger around one of the black sailboats engraved on the rug. This room was so humble; it was warm. A familiar smell was wafting through it, and tons of furniture was scattered about it, making the room look fuller. Books upon books were stacked on the cluttered shelves. Ravi remembered the one they stole...er...got from Tingle.

"I almost forgot!" He immediately started scavenging through his pack and pulled out a large green book with the Triforce on it. Layla shivered just looking at the ancient symbol.

"Hey maybe we shouldn't open it...that Link guy told us it was a dangerous book in the wrong hands. Plus, it was in our dreams. That can't be good." Ravi looked at her, offended.

"Are you saying you don't trust my extreme judgment and intelligence?"

"Ravi, do you even know what judgment is?" Tatl tested him. Ravi brought a finger to his chin and looked upward.

"Not a clue."

"...and that proves our point," Layla said, bemused. Ravi smirked deviously. Why not open the book? It wasn't like there was a seriously threatening curse placed upon it to destroy the world or anything.

Then again, there might be something minor...

He cracked the book's pages ajar and flipped to page fifty-six.

**That took a while to think up...I hate school. Anyway, Guadalupe reminds me of a viking rather than a Sheikah. Or maybe she's just a thug. Who knows...**

**OMG page fifty-six is here to attack! Hide! **

**DUM, DUM, DUM!!!**


End file.
